Is this what it's like to die? This was one of the thoughts drifting through sixteen year old Barry Watkins mind as he clung on to the edge of his brand new surfboard. In a story of terror and survival Barry recalls what it was like to come face-to-face with a great white - the fifth shark attack in Dunedin history.

Face-off with a Great White

Bryan Williams

Rugby legend Sir Bryan Williams made All Blacks rugby history as the first player of Pasifika blood to play in Apartheid-era South Africa in the early 1970s. He talks to Sonia Yee about the cultural obstacles and challenges heading into the three-month tour, what it meant for Black South Africans and why he's advocating for Pasifika players today through Moana Pasifika.

Sir Bryan Williams - altering rugby history

Not much is known of the suburban zoo that was once situated in Christchurch's North Beach. But those who visited recall eyeing up a mysterious crocodile in a small glass enclosure. In this episode of Eyewitness, Sonia Yee uncovers some myths, and finds out why it has left many with a mix of wonder and bewilderment.

Inside the Controversial North Beach Zoo 

At a time when women were embracing their femininity after the war years, Barbara Herrick wanted to change the way women felt about themselves through fashion. She speaks to Sonia Yee about Dior's New Look that took the world by storm, carving a path in Auckland's high-end fashion scene with her label, Babs Radon. And shares what it was like to meet Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at The New Zealand Wool Awards.

When the dress made the woman

Little is known about The Wizard of New Zealand who took centre stage in Christchurch's Cathedral Square from the 70s until the Christchurch earthquakes in 2011, which saw the city in a state of disrepair. A man who challenged political, social and cultural ideology, The Wizard posed provocative questions in this public space, much to the delight, and sometimes dismay, of passersby. But the background to why The Wizard was there in the first place has been something of a mystery... until now. Sonia Yee finds out more in this episode of Eyewitness.

The Wizard: A Living Work of Art

This year marks 100 years since the first radio transmission in New Zealand and the man behind it is also responsible for laying the foundation for the oldest radio station in the country - Radio Dunedin. Sonia Yee finds out why Radio Dunedin couldn't broadcast the weather during World War 2, and more...

Radio Dunedin -  One of the oldest stations in the world 

What Now is New Zealand's most successful and longest running children's television show and this year celebrated 40 years. Rex Simpson who founded it says it was a platform to grow new talent, and a place where kids were encouraged to get off the couch.

NZ's Longest Running Children's Show - What Now

It was the spirit of adventure that took teacher, Tony Washington and his family to Pitcairn Island. One of the most isolated communities in the world, Pitcairn is just over five-and-a-half thousand kilometres from Christchurch. From an outsider's perspective, it looks idyllic but was it the adventure Tony and his family expected? Find out more in this episode produced and presented by Sonia Yee.

There's Nothing Romantic About Pitcairn

In this episode of Eyewitness Sonia Yee takes a look at why The Great Crunchie Train Robbery was a runaway success at a time when the advertising industry hit a turning point.

New Zealand's most iconic ad: The Great Crunchie Train Robbery 

An epic train journey for a game of rugby marks the end of an era. Produced by Julie Benjamin

The ‘49ers

What it’s like to come face-to-face with history.

Eyewitness

June 1984 and a drunken decision late one night leads to a snap election. Sir Robert Muldoon's ruling National Government is thrown out of office and David Lange's reforming Labour Party voted in. But before they could take power, an unprecedented constitutional crisis gripped the country and for three days, no one knew who was in charge.

Crisis- who runs the country?

The 1980s will be remembered for big hair, shoulder pads and the biggest destruction of wealth investors had ever seen. It's 30 years since the 1987 share market crash but the legacy of Black Monday still lingers.

Black Monday

Moscow, near the end of the Cold War; paranoia, politics and perestroika. An embassy guard recalls life behind the Iron Curtain. Produced by Justin Gregory.

Behind the Iron Curtain

Auckland, 1998. After a long, hot summer, the lights suddenly go out in the city.

The night the lights went out in Auckland

November 2016 sees the arrival of an American warship in a New Zealand port; the first for more than thirty years. The visit is stirring up memories of a time when New Zealand's harbours were battle zones and peace activists faced off against nuclear warships. US Navy ships and submarines were frequent visitors here in the 70s and early 80s as part of our commitment to the ANZUS treaty with America and Australia. But as fear of the nuclear threat grew, these visits became scenes of protest and some took to the water to show their opposition. The Peace Squadron, as they were known, were a loose flotilla of motorboats, canoes, surfboards and sailboats and people who were prepared to put their bodies in the way of warships. The protests were organised by Anglican priest George Armstrong who tells Eyewitness producer Justin Gregory that he got the call to act while watching American TV.

The Peace Squadron

Archived audio courtesy of The New Zealand Archive of Film, Television and Sound - Contains commentary of New Zealand's first-ever cricket test victory: against the West Indies in Auckland on 13 March 1956. A short interview is heard with John Reid, the New Zealand captain, at Eden Park after the test.

New Zealand’s ‘darkest day’ in test cricket - extended version

At thirteen Taeko Yoshioka Braid survived a moment of history that changed the world forever; the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Produced by Lynda Chanwai-Earle.

A carpet of dead bodies: a Hiroshima survivor's story

When restrictive new abortion laws were passed in this country, a grass roots group of women immediately mobilised. Produced by Claire Crofton.

Eyewitness: the Sisters Overseas Service and the 1977 Abortion Act

EFTPOS and ATMs changed not just the way we bank, but arguably, the way we live. But was that a good thing? Produced by Justin Gregory.

The Only Way to Pay?

Not that long ago, the New Zealand economy was built on sheep, sheep and more sheep. We were asking for economic trouble and in the late 1960s, we got it. Produced by Justin Gregory.

Eyewitness: The Wool Shock of 1966

Five months without work, scant food and the whole nation against you... Katy Gosset hears a first-hand account of the 1951 Waterfront Dispute.

War on the Waterfront

Only one Catholic Pope has ever made the trip all the way from Rome to New Zealand. In 1986 His Holiness Pope John Paul II spent three days here and the local church prepared for his visit in a uniquely Kiwi way. Eyewitness producer Justin Gregory remembers the Pope's flying visit and tracks down a special item he left behind.

The Pope's chair, here

In the last century we have seen a massive revolution in telecommunications. Technological advances have brought the world closer together, but we have lost something too. Liz Garton looks at the shift from manual to automatic telephone exchanges - a roll out that took nearly a century.

Dialling up the past: the evolution of telecommunications in NZ

Mikhail Lermontov

Why is a Soviet ship lying on the bottom of the Marlborough Sounds? Produced by Justin Gregory.

The Experience of a Lifetime - Sinking of Mikhail Lermontov

In this episode of Eyewitness: a dramatic alpine rescue that kept New Zealand on tenterhooksMore than thirty years ago, two climbers were stranded on Mt Cook for two weeks, while the media recorded every detail of the drama. The survival of Mark Inglis and Phil Doole is now a well recognised part of the country's alpine history. Here Katy Gosset tells us the lesser known story of the man behind their rescue.

In this episode of Eyewitness: a dramatic alpine rescue that kept New Zealand on tenterhooks<br>More than thirty years ago, two climbers were stranded on Mt Cook for two weeks, while the media recorded every detail of the drama. The survival of Mark Inglis and Phil Doole is now a well recognised part of the country's alpine history. Here Katy Gosset tells us the lesser known story of the man behind their rescue.

Rescue from 'Middle Peak Hotel'

Did you know that the tomato only became popular locally about 1920? Or that brussels sprouts and silverbeet didn't catch on until the 1930s? Our national diet has undergone massive changes in the last half-century. Duncan Smith heads to the annual NZ Symposium of Gastronomy to find out why.

The New Zealand food revolution

Brent Hansen

The 1985 Live Aid concert was broadcast all around the world. But it very nearly wasn't seen here. Produced by Katie Scotcher.

Brent Hansen: 'Live Aid was 16 hours of guessing what happened next'

In 1992 a sudden financial crisis forced the Mercury theatre to close in dramatic fashion. Auckland Theatre Company rose from its ashes. Actor/director Simon Prast was there and recalls the upheaval for Eyewitness producer Justin Gregory.

The Show Did Go On

When a routine search warrant goes suddenly wrong, an ordinary man becomes a hero. Produced by Anneke Smith.

Eyewitness: 10 years on from Napier Siege

In early 90s Christchurch, a remarkable group of Pasifika performers take their first steps towards success.

How hard can it be?

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